Allen is pastor of a 150-member-strong church - The House of
Prayer - in Northwest Atlanta. The church is the focus of an
ongoing investigation that led Georgia state welfare authorities
to remove nearly 50 children from parishioners' homes between
late March and early May. The Fulton County Department of Family
and Children's Services (DFACS) charges that members violently
discipline their children, placing them at risk of harm.

It started when children came to school with noticeable bruises.
Teachers notified DFACS, which investigated and found The House
of Prayer and the Biblical teachings of Allen responsible.

The House of Prayer focuses strongly on the teachings of the
Old Testament of the Bible. Allen teaches his flock to remove
themselves from the "outside world," encouraging them
to live close to the church in an impoverished area on Atlanta's
northwest side. He teaches that no form of birth control is permitted
under Biblical law and that promiscuity outside of wedlock is
wrong. Under Allen's direction, girls as young as 14 travel 60
miles to the west - to Cleburne County, Alabama - where it is
legal to marry that young. The girls are then wed to older men
within the church in marriages arranged and approved by Allen.

Allen also insists that members' children be quizzed at the
altar, in front of the congregation. If the child has been "bad,"
a punishment is administered at Allen's direction. Members hold
the arms and legs of the child, and the parent is directed to
beat the child until Allen determines that the punishment is sufficient.
Bruises from these beatings prompted the DFACS investigation.

Initially, 41 children were removed from the homes of parishioners,
and local Atlanta television caught the screams and wails as the
kids were loaded into vans to taken into state custody. Those
pictures made their way onto national newscasts as questions were
asked of the parents and Allen.

Allen insists his way is the right way, and directed the parents
not to allow attorneys to represent them in subsequent court hearings.
Fulton County Juvenile Court Judge Sanford Jones told the parents
they had to meet several conditions to get their children back
during the ongoing investigation. First, others could not discipline
their children. Second, spankings were only to be administered
by hand - no belts or other items. Finally, young girls were
not to be taken to Alabama to be wed.

Incredibly, the parents refused at Allen's urging. He proclaimed,
"God's going to give back your children when he's ready."
In response, Judge Jones called The House of Prayer a cult, and
compared Allen to infamous People's Temple founder Jim Jones.

Allen is using every opportunity to get himself in the media
during this controversy at the expense of his parishioners. He
says families going along with the court are sinning and damned
to Hell. He taunts the media with claims that DFACS has a vendetta
against The House of Prayer in general and specifically against
him.

Further proof of Allen's true motive is seen in his response
when seven children were removed from the home of a House of Prayer
member in early May. After Fulton Juvenile Judge George Blau
ordered the family to surrender their children, the parents refused,
saying officials would have to "come get them yourselves."
Allen contacted the local media to ensure they were present,
with cameras rolling. He also insisted on having two personal
camcorders inside the home as the children were being removed.
Two teenagers began to kick, hit, bite and scratch at DFACS officials,
so police officers forcibly removed them and placed them under
arrest. Allen personally made certain the footage was given to
Atlanta television stations for immediate broadcast.

The footage, however, told a different story. The DFACS workers
tried to reason with the teens, but the teens became violent.
Officers handcuffed the pair and removed them from the house,
with the parents crying and wailing in the background. The teens
were charged with simple battery and obstruction of justice.

Reverend Allen doesn't seem to care about this. He just seems
to want his 15 minutes of fame - just like other so-called "men
of the cloth" who hide behind the Bible in order to further
their own personal agenda. People like him do a disservice to
the rich spiritual heritage of the African-American community.
Don't be fooled by the demagoguery of men like Allen - they are
not men to be admired. They are men to be despised by all spiritual
and righteous people everywhere.